


Aerumade

by TefiGaby



Category: 2PM (Band), ASTRO (Band), B1A4
Genre: F/M, Growing Up, High School, Memories, Multi, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:01:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28698099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TefiGaby/pseuds/TefiGaby
Summary: When we meet again. How could our love survive ten years? Some of us changed with time, some still the same not matter how many years passed, some of us are capable to tell everything they feel and some can't simply do it... Even so, after a decade without you... Maybe I still love you.Based on Aerumade MV by B1A4.





	1. Prologue

**Our story hasn't ended yet.**

Baro walked down the solitaire hall. It was afternoon and the red sky painted every palm of the tall walls of the third floor.

It was Chuseok.

He felt nostalgic.

It was Chuseok and as usual he went back to his hometown to spend the holidays with his family. His mother cooked his favorite plates and his father didn't stop talking about his shop. As usual he only thought about his family. Until dinner...

Last night during dinner his little sister invited a friend of her and both girls kept talking about school, their friends, their teachers and, of course, the boy they like.

Baro hadn't thought about the time he was in highschool for long time. He's twenty eight now. He's an independent man owner of one of the most popular bars back on Seoul. He didn't have time to daydream about his teenager years.

But that day he couldn't help it. He went to his long forgotten yearbooks and looked at them with a smile. He had kept good friendships from that time, he thought looking at the pic where he and his four best friends were standing in front of their club's classroom. Music? He hadn't tried to make music after he graduated!

Then his smile disappeared for a second when he found an empty space. Someone cutted that pic. He did.

He left the bed and went to his little bookcase again. He didn't want his mother to see her. So he hidden it where she never would look, his old arithmetic book. Thanks God, Sunah's teachers thought the books he used were not worthy now. They were too old.

He flipped through the pages until he found some colorful origamis and the pic. A precious girl with a beautiful smile looked at him, her long black hair tied up in a ponytail that left some rebel locks scape here and there. He smiled again.

That's how he ended in his old highschool.

So lucky Sunha didn't got in there.

He drove the girls to their school where everyone was working on their clubs like it wasn't on break, and then headed to the place where his memories could be free again.

It was empty. Silent. Like inviting him to get lost in there.

The guard didn't want to let him in but after checking he was a ex-student he opened those heavy doors of the entrance where he and his friends used to got punished if they were late for classes.

He didn't have too much time so he walked directly to his old junior classroom on the third floor. The light of the window reaching every spot of the place.

Even the smell was the same. Like time had stopped in that building. He stepped in and his gaze flight to where his desk was. Almost in the middle of the room. He suspected the table and the chair weren't the same now, but they looked identically. He didn't get close to see it though.

He stopped by the sight of the green board. Will they never change to those marker boards?

'Happy Chuseok!'

It was written on it with big colorful letters. A lot of children draws on everywhere.

He stood in the middle admiring it.

A paperplane hit the board next to him and landed on the floor.

.

Baro looked at it.

His hand stopped in the air lifted to the big green board he had just started to clean.

He turned to see who was still there.

It was her.

She giggled sitting on his desk. Her beautiful black hair falling to her shoulders like a marvelous waterfall. "I can't believe you, Cha Sunwoo-Oppa." She said whilst she stood up and fixed her dark blue skirt.

Baro knew that was just the uniform skirt, but he always thought it looked good only on her.

He gulped. He was alone with her, he realized.

Hi heart was running fast.

"Not only you are the one who stay this late to clean everything when everyone is enjoying the holiday since this moment." She walked until could face him. She was short. Her eyes reading the board.

'Happy Chuseok'

It was written on white. A lot of messages wrote by his classmates.

She sweetly smiled taking the board eraser from his hand. "You're also the one who cleans it without reading what people wrote to you." She said making disappear the words with some hurry.

He looked at her blanket until he understood. His eyes from her to the board and back.

"What?!" He asked. "What are you saying?!" His hand tried to stop her but when his fingers touched her soft skin he left her.

She stopped. Half of the board green again.

Both wide eyes.

"Jieun-ah." Baro let out the air in his lungs. To this point his heart was hitting his chest with such a strength he thought he would die. "What... What was written there?" He asked and a playful smile light up her beautiful face.

"Nothing." She answered hitting two of those erasers on his face. The white dusk flying between them.

He wanted to cough. His hand trying to disperse it.

She left his side and went back to his desk to take her bag. "I think we'll meet again when classes start. Have good holidays, Oppa."

With that she started to walk to the back door. She entered using that door, Baro could tell.

He looked at the board one more time and then her delicate back, her precious black hair. "Jieun!"

She stopped.

"What did you write on the board? What did you want to tell me?" He firmly asked. His heart stopped.

She doubted. Took a step forward before turning to face him one more time.

"Sunwoo-Oppa..." Her face was red and he thought she had never looked so beautiful. "Let's go on a date on Chuseok."

.

Baro looked the empty spot.

She was really beautiful on that moment. She still does. At least on his memories she will always be that beautiful.

He sighed.

How silly from him.

After ten years he is wondering about where she is.

She's surely married.

His smile faded. That didn't sound good.

No. She's surely single.

That's better.

She's happy and single.

He looked at the teacher desk. There really was a paperplane on it.

He softly smiled.

Some boy was playful the last day, eh?

He took it and let it fly on the classroom.

He was nostalgic today.

The red light from the window was becoming purple when he stepped out the classroom with his hands on his pockets.

He contempled the football field from the window. He had the best free times there with his friends. Maybe he should take a pic and send it to them.

Also he should take a pic of his classroom. But just for him.

He turned with his phone on the hand when heard it.

"Sunwoo-Oppa?"

His heart stopped. Was it possible? Was he going crazy?

His eyes looked at the end of the hallway.

She was beautiful.

The girl. No. The woman in front of him was beautiful. Was stunning.

She was still short but she was using a pair of glamorous heels, her blue skirt was replaced by skinny jeans and a long jacket, her skin looked soft and the make-up just made it more obvious, her long hair wasn't black anymore, now it fallen on her shoulder like a pink marvelous waterfall... She looked more beautiful than before.

"Jieun-ah."


	2. Chapter 1 Millions of reasons

**The silent between us.**

"Then..." CNU looked impressed at his friend. "Let me understand, you found your ex girlfriend in a short trip to our hometown, you decided you two are in love again and want to marry three months later?"

They were in one of the tables of Baro's fancy bar 'All Night'. That was their usual place to meet up and the five friends always were there early to relax before it was opened to the public.

Baro sighed. Had he heard any of what he was telling? He filled his glass with more whisky. "Six months. Six months had passed and we're not marrying tomorrow, we just took the decision yesterday. Probably next year or so."

"And we're meeting her after that?" The tallest man frowned.

"Leave him alone, Hyung." Sandeul told CNU with a smile. "He's in love."

"Besides..." Jinyoung drank from his glass before talking again. He felt good today. He ended his work for that new pop group and now he could relax. "We're not his mother, right?"

"It's not that, Hyung." Baro giggled. "It's just. The past months had been so amazing. I had been so happy and time passed so fast we didn't realize we haven't introduce each other to our friends and families."

"Awwwww. That's kinda sweet!" Sandeul said resting his cheek on his hand. He had always loved to hear people's thoughts with a dreamy understanding.

"Doesn't your family know her either?" CNU asked again. Even if he worked with books filled with love stories he was a practical man.

Then Gongchan noticed how different they were. "You said your mom already knows her, right?" He talked before Baro could answer. "From the time you were together."

Baro nodded. "We were together about... Two years. Until she went to a college here in Seoul."

"That long?" Again the tallest had a weird expression. "I should remember her."

"It's normal you don't. We started to go serious when you were already in college. Jinyoung-hyung and you never meet her before."

"But we did." Gongchan focused his gaze on the table. "I have no idea who she is."

"I do." Confessed Sandeul. "She was cute. And I remember... You know..." He cut himself.

"When she left me?" Baro smiled. "It was hard. But now things are very different. We don't talk about it anymore."

CNU pouted. He didn't like it. He took a sip of his drink.

They went silent for a moment until Gongchan saw Baro's phone screen light up.

"I think she is here." The tall boy pointed out.

Baro brightly smiled when he read the message. "She is. And the other girls too."

"Who?!" Jinyoung and CNU asked.

"Her friends." Baro explained to the olders like he did twenty minutes ago. "She's meeting my best men and we're meeting her bridesmaids."

"Are you sure you're not planning on getting married tomorrow?" Jinyoung asked with a high tone.

Baro chuckled whilst he stood up. "I wish I could." He said walking to the entrance.

"Now we're meeting her friends too..." CNU mumbled.

Gongchan throw him a napkin. "Stop, hyung. You're too worried."

"He said her friends went to the same highschool than us." Sandeul said. His eyes fixed on the wall.

"Oh! Do we know them?" Jinyoung didn't hear that... Or didn't pay attention.

"I think I may know one of them." The shorter confessed.

Gongchan tilt his head to a side. That was unexpected.

A sweet music started.

Surely Baro asked some of his employers to put the sound equipment on. He really wanted his fiancee to be impressed by his friends.

Gongchan knew the song.

An old song.

Years had passed since the last time he heard it.

He was unconsciously humming it.

His back was facing the entrance of the place so he had to turn around when Baro announced the women were entering.

They were five but his eyes focused on one of them.

They're eyes found each other as natural as always had been.

The sweetest song filled his ears.

.

He loved that song. He really did.

That's why he asked Jinyoung-hyung to include it in their next performance.

That song makes him think on her.

When it came to an end he did what he always do, took his iPod from his pocket and put it on repeat.

A soft wind ran through the empty station he was waiting in.

The train won't come in some minutes yet but he always made sure to come by this time. He sighed and closed his eyes. He really loved this song.

Then, he felt it.

Someone came from the stairs and stood some meters away from him.

He opened his eyes and slowly looked at her.

She was alone today and his heart started to beat fast.

He didn't know her name.

He thought she was from the senior class of middle school of his own academy. But he's not sure.

She was smiling.

She was always happy. He loved to see her happy. That made him happy too.

Suddenly she turned and her pretty dark eyes were looking at his.

It was for a few seconds.

After that Gongchan couldn't stan it. He felt a pain on his chest that forced him to look away. To the trails. Like he was looking for the train that won't reach soon.

The song started again and his heartbeat didn't let him hear it.

He didn't know when it started.

But when he noticed it was too late. He had fallen for that funny girl who was always the center of the groups she was in, who was passionately dancing on the school festival, who was always being punished on the garden for being talking too loud in classes, who forced her friends to eat part of her own food and stop dieting...

When he realized his eyes were always looking through middle school groups... Wanting to see her... But being incapable to talk to her.

He tried once. On that station.

She was desperately looking into her bag. Gongchan thought she lost her card, he wanted to help. But he didn't have the opportunity. When he was next to her... Her friends came from nowhere, hugged her, took her hand, and talked to her like he always wanted to.

He wondered if he would capable to say something to her.

The train stopped and the wind filled the station again.

He looked at her one more time before stepping in. He froze.

Her eyes were on him again.

She smiled at him. And it was like the Earth decided to stop. Not even the wind wanted to interrupt.

She looked away and fixed a lock of her dark brown hair behind her ear.

He didn't know her name.

Their eyes met again. And this time her hand waved at him.

She hurriedly stepped in.

He reacted just when the doors started to close.

Gongchan got into the wagon on time... But it was the wrong wagon.

The song started again.

His eyes looked at the lateral door, she was there.

.

And Gongchan thought she was precious.

His heart didn't care how many time had passed, it was beating like he was on that station again.

She looked so beautiful.

His long dark hair was wavy now but that was all, she looked precious and he would recognize her everywhere.

Gongchan felt stupid for a moment. His body was acting like he was some teenager.

He should say something when Baro spoke the name of his girlfriend but he couldn't. He had a knot on his throat.

"Chanie?" Another girl called him. And that was the only thing that forced him to take his eyes away from her. Now focused on the short haired girl who smiled at him.

"Eonnie?" A tall woman looked at that girl curiously.

"Keri? Don't you remember?" She looked accusatory to her taller little sister. "He's Chanshik-ssi. We both studied on the same class until we graduated." She was looking at him again. Her brown eyes smaller for her smile. "You remember?" She pointed herself. "Hook Taeni."

Of course he remembered. They were in the same class but they never were friends. He wanted to be her friend though because she was a good friend of... His eyes were again on her. She wasn't looking at him. Her nose was precious too.

He looked back to Taeni. They were not friends. Right. She only talked to him after his hyungs graduated, just to ask for... He looked at CNU now. The tall man's face was calm.

"What a coincidence!" Baro happily said with his hand on the waist of a blonde eye-catching girl.

**...**

**NOW: We're so different from our past selves.**

CNU didn't feel good.

He didn't feel good at all.

He thought looking at the woman with short dark brown hair and skinny black pants who was dancing on the dance floor.

He remembered her. On highschool she was shy and calm, she blushed at everything. She was so cute. But now...

He needed some minutes to recognize her. In fact, when they were about to be introduced he was studying Baro's fiancee and how sweetly the blonde looked at his friend when he heard her voice. He didn't pay attention until that. It sounded more enthusiastic but it was her voice. That was when he realized.

She was a pretty woman. And had so much confidence. She openly talked to Gongchan, Jinyoung and him. And tried to befriend with Sandeul and Baro with natural manners. She talked a lot.

And when the place started to fill and music got more energetic, she herself and not her noisily friend was who said 'I love that song' and dragged the girls and Gongchan to where they were now. She didn't dance as good as her sister or the other tall girl (who his younger friend keep eyeing time to time), but she's not shy at all.

He was alone.

Sandeul was no stopping talking to the older girl. A short woman that was keeping an eye on the others like a wolf mom. And Baro got lost with her girlfriend.

Jinyoung left him too. He was being stalked by a group of nice girls.

He drank from his glass. Why was he feeling sad?

"Don't you want to try one of our coctels? The boss showed me how to make it." He heard one of the bartenders offering a drink next to him. Even the VIP zone was full that day.

"I don't think so." Her voice answered and his body immediately turned to see her landing on the counter. "It's not good to drink different things at the same time. Another vodka and a Coke for my sister, please."

The boy made a face. "The boss asked us to attend you well."

"And you're doing perfectly. Another day I'll come for that coctel." She smiled and took sit right next to CNU when the bartender handed her a glass.

"You didn't drink back then." CNU said looking at her face when she lifted the glass to her lips.

She smiled after a sip. "Yes. That's true." Taeni turned to face him. It passed some seconds before she turned around to see the dance floor.

She smiled to her sister showing her the bottle of Coke. The younger tried to approach but the other friend didn't let her. 

She giggled. "I was seventeen then. Of course I didn't drink." She eyed him again. And he wanted to slap himself. What a stupid thing he said! "You didn't drink either." She pointed his half empty glass. The transparent alcoholic drink bubbling. "I'm a responsible girl who won't lose control and my sister is our driver. Don't worry, Oppa." She winked.

He looked down at his glass and hummed.

The dark liquid reflected his eyes.

.

He fixed his big glasses before thanking the waitress and going back to his book.

He was starting to read it and wasn't sure if he liked it. But he was sure he liked to read in that coffee. It was nice and had a nice view.

Yes. He loved to wait in that coffee.

Suddenly the book was taken from his hands and he frowned. Then he saw her standing next to him looking the cover of it, her lips pouting a little.

He adored her.

His face surely softened.

When she noticed he was staring she flushed. "I'm sorry... I wanted..." She pressed her lips in a thin line and sat up in from of him. "I was checking."

"Checking what?" He asked and couldn't help to openly smile.

"This." She avoided his eyes and looked through her bag. Taking out a new copy of that book. 'The future is now'.

He surprisedly looked both books before getting back to her blushed face. Her hair that reached to her shoulders had a hairband today. She was cute.

"You bought it." He said. Oh. He wanted to gift her his own copy because they commented how funny it would be if they can compare their opinions. "Did you started?"

"No yet." She said looking at the table. "Maybe today."

He really adored her.

Then the waitress came with a coffee for her. He asked her to do that.

"Thank you." She hurriedly said. "And... I..." She was struggling with words and he thought that was incredible cute. "Thank you, sunbaenim."

He chuckled. "How many times should I tell you? It's ok if you call me Oppa." She blushed again. "I'd liked that too." He was blushing now. His eyes on the glass wall.

"Sorry... It's not easy... I'm not... Used." And she mumbled "Oppa."

Even so she smiled.

"Aren't you going to put sugar on your coffee?" He asked looking how she lifted the mud without paying attention.

Her lips formed a perfect 'o' as she reached for the spoon.

Five.

She liked sweet things.

"Aren't you making me try sugar like last time?"

Her cheeks were dark red even if her skin was slightly tanned. "Last time I... I didn't know you had put sugar already... It was like... Poisoned?"

He chuckled again. She was funny too. "Oppa liked it." He assured her. "And this time my coffee is sugar free so you can show me how you like it."

She nervously giggled. Her perfect smile didn't left her face.

She leaned over the table and took the spoon.

God! He adored her.

She avoided his eyes.

.

But he wanted to see them. Her light brown eyes were beautiful.

"Did you become a writer? Or a painter?" He asked so she had to look back to him.

"No." She said. A big smile on her face. "Didn't think you would remember something like that." She let her glass on the counter. "I'm a interior's designer for our own little company."

Her smile was still perfect.

But she was so different now.

**...**

**The words we spoke were full of sincerity.**

Sandeul laughed along with her. Her long black hair was dancing on her delicate shoulders.

They're by the same table were they started the night. What a good night. When Baro came with his fiancee he knew she was coming with them.

He felt so nervous.

When he saw her... She looked so different now. She looked so much mature and calm, she had a dark make-up and he had never seen her like that, she walked so confident and was so caring with her friends. Her hair was darker now and she was wearing shorts. Her legs were beautiful as he remember from the time she graduated from highschool.

He thought it would be hard for him to talk to her, but she was who touched his shoulder to say hi and she was who sat up with him after dancing two songs with her friends.

They had been so close the rest of the night.

He smiled to her.

"You look beautiful, Noona." He said. He didn't avoid her eyes.

She sweetly smiled. "You're always so sweet, Deullie. Thank you." He didn't lost she called him like that. She looked at her phone before looking back at him. "You look very handsome too. I didn't recognized you. You're very tall now."

He chuckled. He wasn't tall. But he was tall enough for her.

Her phone started a music. It sounded cute.

Her face illuminated.

"I'll go to answer this." She said and stood up to go to the office area.

Sandeul was happy. They were still friends.

When she came back her smile were brighter.

"I think I have to go." She said and took her handbag. "I'll drive Jieun home, where she is?"

Sandeul stood. "She's with Sunwoo in his office. But I can make sure he'll take her home." She looked at him and he thought her eyes were prettier than before. "Can I take you home?"

"No. It's ok. I'll drive." She smiled. "I don't drink now. Not if Mino is at home."

His heart stopped with that.

She intensely looked at him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Whatever you need, Eunjung-noona." He couldn't denied her anything she wanted.

"The girls. Can you make sure they'll be ok? I don't want to interrupt them and..."

"I let them know you leave. And I'll text you when they're on their way home." He could do that. And he wanted her number.

"Thank you so much." Just for her relief expression it was worthy. "God, Junghwanie, I'm so happy to see you again. You look so well."

"You too, noona." He said. But before letting her go he also asked. "Noona? Can I ask you something?"

"Yes. Yes, of course, honey." He would die just for the pet name.

"Who's Mino?"

She blankly looked at him. "Oh." She smiled and took her phone. "Horvejkul Mino-yah." She handed it to him. A pic on the screen. "He's my son."

A cute baby boy who was about three or four years old was making the cutest aegyo to him.

Oh! He was as pretty as her.


	3. Chapter 2 My future self.

**The words we spoke were full of sincerity.**

The basketball ball was rolling on the ground after it passed by the tall basket.

Sandeul looked for her with a big smile on his face.

She was jumping and her hands found his hands whilst they had that silly celebration they used to do.

"You'd been practicing!" She said looking for the ball.

She was not wearing her uniform. She left it behind long time ago. Now she was about to graduate from the law school.

"You're on your Senior year, isn't it?" As usual Eunjung had a sixth sense that let her know what he was thinking. She throw the ball to his chest. "Had you think where will you go after it?"

He didn't. He catched it. But he was sure about one think. "I'll probably study on the same college than you."

She smiled. "Yeah?" They started to play again. "That's good." She took the ball away from him and made a point. "I'm moving out of Daegu as soon as I graduated."

Just the sound of the ball hitting the ground until it came to a stop was heard.

"What?" He asked looking at her dark eyes.

"I have a job offer in Seoul. It's a little firm." She said her hand now focused on her long brown hair. "It's a good opportunity."

"Then I'll go to Seoul too!" He firmly said.

Her face softened. "Deullie..." She was the only who called him like that. He didn't know where that came from but he loved it. "You don't have to. You need to do what's better for..."

"I like you!" He confessed. He didn't care he was surely red. "A lot. I like you a lot!"

She smiled. "Oh, honey." She got closer. "I like you too. Very much." And he knew she was not saying this as a big sister to his little brother. They liked each other.

But he couldn't feel happiness. He should but his heart was aching.

"There's a but on this, isn't it?"

She smiled. And she extended her arms. They hugged. He could feel her breath on his neck. It felt so good.

"I'm old." She said and then giggled.

"Don't say that!" He complained, he didn't want to let her go.

"It's true, honey." She didn't let him go. She was slightly taller than him, he felt secure. She smelled like roses. "I'm going to live by myself now, and you... You're just starting..."

"I don't care." He mumbled.

"I do." She broke the embrace so she could face him. "Deullie, you're the sweetest man I know. You're mature and smart, and I'm so proud of you. I really want you to be happy and I really want you to care about your own future."

"I'll go to Seoul too." He said.

"You won't, baby. You won't leave your parents." It was true. He knew it. "Smile for me. Yeah? Do you want an ice cream?"

He chuckled. He wanted to cry. But he smiled. "It's too cold."

"C'mon! Noona will pay!" She took his hand. Hers was cold.

Before they left Sandeul took the ball again with a hand and throw it on the ground.

He liked the sound it made.

.

He looked at the ball until one of the kids that were playing took it again. He smiled. Not long ago he wouldn't be on the grades, he would be playing with them.

Well. Maybe it was too long ago.

"Aren't you like frosting yourself here?" Her voice asked. She was about to laugh. Probably because he was hugging himself.

He smiled.

When he went out of the radio he said Gongchan he wouldn't go with him to Baro's. He left him and drove to Han River.

He thought a lot about what he should do. He was honest. He sent a message 'I miss you. I want to see you.' And received other. 'Deullie.' And after ten minutes another one. 'I want to see you too.' And an address.

"Do you want coffee?" She extended her hand with an Expresso.

He accepted it. "Thanks." She sat up next to him. She was carrying a long modern jacket and a fancy handbag. Her black hair tied up in a bun. She looked elegant. "I waited for you like three hours."

She giggled. "You're such a liar! Your show ended at eight o'clock!"

It was true. He was there for half an hour maybe.

"Did you hear it?" Sandeul asked. He was surprised. He was blushing.

"Of course I did!" She sweetly smiled. "I recognized your voice on the radio like... Five years ago? You were starting your talk show. You work with who? How do you call him? Gongchan? Chanie? I was sure it was you when you introduced yourself like Sandeullie the next time!" She looked happy. "Back then your show aired once a week! Now it's daily!"

"Did you hear me?" Sandeul was still shocked.

"Everyday." She answered. "Except when you were on vacation and when you were in the army." Eunjung looked away. Her eyes on the kids playing. "It's good. Mino and I like it."

"Why didn't you contact me?" It hurt.

"I didn't knew what to say or do." As always she said the truth. "I was just happy to know you were doing good."

Sandeul sighed. She was like that.

"How are your parents?" She didn't let him time to say anything.

"They're well." He looked at the kids again. "I bought them a little apartment here. I live with them of course, but I had my own apartment near to the station." He didn't need to say that. But still he wanted her to know.

"You grew up so well." She said taking a sip of her coffee.

"Where's your kid?" He asked worrying about the time he had left.

"With Taeni. I usually work until late and the girls take care of him for me. Taeni and Suji had their own office so they're with him most of time. Nichkhun helps too, of course." She said without noticing. "If he was with Mino today I wouldn't have answered you. I hate to be late those days."

"Is he...?"

"Yes. He's his father." She said blushing a little. "You two would be friends. You're very sweet."

He hated it. He didn't want to be friend with that man. "I don't want to be his friend." He said.

Eunjung smiled.

"Is he good?" Sandeul asked after a few moments.

"Nichkhun?" She looked at him with curiosity. "Yes, he is good." She firmly said. "Nichkhun was a good husband, is a good father and is a good friend now. He's always helping us and Mino-yah loves him so much. We didn't have big problems. We just grew apart."

"It was too long ago? Did he hurt you?" He felt angry.

"When we divorced?" Eunjung looked at her hands. "Of course it hurted. Every divorce does. But we always remained friends. It was when Mino was two years old. He's almost four now."

Sandeul really hated that man and he knew that was not rational. But still... How could he leave a woman like Eunjung-noona?! "I want to know him... If it's ok."

"Who? Nickhun?"

He almost shocked. "No!" He pouted. "I want to know Mino!"

"Oh." Eunjung looked away. It was obvious she was thinking hard. "I don't know, Deullie." She was honest. "I don't know if... I don't know what are we doing here right now? I don't know what to do... I mean. I shouldn't be doing this."

"Doing what?" He mumbled.

She softened. "Deullie." She let her hand to touch his jacket, she fixed its neck. "I have a son."

"I know."

"It's not easy. He's my priority now."

"I know."

She sighed. "I loved to see you, baby. But I had to go, Mino should be driving my girls crazy."

"That's a lie."

"You think? My boy is so active." She chuckled.

"Let me drive you there." He stood up when she did.

She shaked her head. "I brought my car."

"Will I see you again?" He took her hand.

"Honey..." She looked their hands together. "Our friends are marrying. We'll see each other soon." They won't.

"Can I text you?" Sandeul asked letting her go.

She looked at his eyes. A little smile on her lips. "God, you make my heart run fast..." His heart was running faster. "Right now I'll say yes, but maybe I'll change my mind."

"Please don't do that."

Sandeul liked her a lot.

**...**

**We remain the same not matter what.**

Jinyoung didn't like her.

He was sure about that as he was in the past.

He repeat it as many times as he could that morning.

More than a week had passed after the day they were introduced to Baro's fiancee and he couldn't believe his own luck.

He was sitting on one of the couch in the waiting room of the tenth floor of the company he was working for. He had ended his meet with the manager of a girl group he usually produce.

They talked about the new song. The members liked it and they negotiated about the payment of the recording work. His assistant would program their schedule.

He was getting out when his gaze ended on the meeting room with walls of glass in from of him. She was there.

A pretty long dress, high heels and her long light brown hair on a styled braid. She was showing a portfolio to a man he didn't know. She was smiling.

He asked to one of the assistants who was she.

"Oh! She's our exclusive designer." The girl answered trying to make a pose to caught his attention. "She's who makes the wardrobe our groups wear on stage and the events they go. I think she's working on the same project than you."

That's how he ended there. Maybe he was waiting for her. That's what he said to the manager when he saw him. He was only waiting for an old friend.

The son of one of the bosses who worked on that floor kicked a football ball. It rounded on the rugged floor until it found her black shoe.

.

She was facing him with a pout and her delicate lips were parted. She was about to explain it to him when a boy called her out.

"Noona!" He was a ten years old boy. His friends on his back waiting for him. "Can you pass it to us?"

Her eyes opened with surprise.

She looked down at the ball and she frowned. "Yeah. Sure." She said whilst she took it and turned around.

Jinyoung smiled. She didn't feel comfortable talking to unknown kids. Well. Unknown people. How long it took for him to have a real conversation with her. That was super cute. He thought.

She was holding the ball with both hands and she sent it to the boy... It hit the ground some meters away the sender of that park.

The face the kid made was so so funny. He didn't say thank you.

And Jinyoung laughed. He laughed without trying to control himself. "What was that?!" He asked. He knew she frowned. "That was so pathetic!" She turned to look at him. Their eyes met and Jinyoung laughed again. He gestured the moves she did. "What was that?!" He repeated. "Are you really from the kickingball team?"

She was offended. Her styled right eyebrow raised like asking 'Are you being serious?' He was. He smirked.

Keri rolled her eyes. And without saying a word she started to walk away. Her cute face was deep red.

He waited a moment doubting if she would stop and wait for him... She didn't.

"Wait! Keri! Wait!" He called after he decided she was mad at him. "Keri, Oppa wanna talk to you!" He ran after her. "Keri-yah, I said Oppa wants to talk with you." He explained. His own voice going soft. "Oppa is sorry, yeah?" He said walking a step behind her. He did that all the time. For some reason it was like he thought that way he could take care of her, like keeping an eye on her. "Keri-yah, please?" His two hands together pleading. "I'm sorry. Oppa is so sorry. Oppa is so dumb." He saw her shoulders rise a little, was she sobbing? Oh! He was a dumbass. "Keri-ya? Our Keri-yah? I'm so sorry. I didn't want to make you sad." She stopped.

Right. He made her sad. And he cared. He cared so much. Why he cared this much?... Anyways. Taeni would kill him if she knew he made her cry.

His eyes were fixed on the little moves of her shoulders. He picture the clear blouse of her middle school uniform filled with tears. He was a pig!

"Keri?" He let his hand to slightly touch her shoulder. She didn't push him away so he used both hands on her shoulders to softly turned her to face him. "Oppa is really really sorry. I'm so stupid. I was being so..."

She giggled.

His heart stopped.

She was adorably keeping a hand on her lips. Her big beautiful dark eyes found his lost gaze. She laughed out loud.

He thought her laugh sounded beautiful.

She turned again and walked away for the second time.

He smirked looking at her. She was super cute.

He followed her. "So... Now you're making your Oppa a silly man? You're playing with me."

She giggled again. "I said nothing." So he was the one who made himself a silly man? He smiled seeing her back.

"That's right." He answered. He was soft for her... As always. "Sorry." He didn't care to keep apologizing. He felt happy.

"Are you going home?" She playfully asked.

"I'm on my way." He struggled. "Why are you alone?" Jinyoung repeated the question he made before that ball interrupted them.

"I'm not alone." And for some reason his heart jumped out of happiness. "My friends have club activities and Eonnie is having coffee." Ah! CNU was having coffee too. He smirked.

"Isn't she having too much coffee lately?" He said knowing she wouldn't answer. He heard her soft laugh. "Are you walking home alone every Wednesday?"

"And some Fridays." She confirmed. She was looking up to the trees. He followed her gaze. No. There were not flowers there.

He nodded. "Why didn't you tell me? Oppa can walk you home."

"There's no need." He could feel her smile.

"Oppa would loved it." He said. That was the truth. "And you know... I live close to you."

She laughed again. And he smiled. He was so soft for her. "Yes. A good neighborhood, isn't it?" She stopped and looked at him.

"The best." He agreed.

She was super cute on that day.

He looked some locks of her light brown hair falling on her eyes. He would loved to fix them. But the boy next door wouldn't have the right to... Isn't it?

"Oppa?"

.

He lifted his eyes and met those pretty big eyes he liked so much. A smile took over his face. She was surprised. "Keri-ssi."

She blinked at it. Oh! Years had passed but he was stupid as always! He should called her as always!

Even so she smiled at him. "What are you doing here? Do you work here now?" She asked.

He stood up. She was so tall now. Or were those heels. He smiled noticing he was taller. "Mmmmm... No. I don't. I make songs for some of these groups and also I produce them, but I'm independent."

She hummed at that. She looked at his eyes for a moment and after that like it was natural on them she just started to walk towards the elevators.

He walked behind her looking her little back keeping himself a step behind. "I saw you there. I waited for you."

She stopped and pressed the button. "I work here." He already knew.

He stood next to her. He was curious. How was that possible? How her eyelashes were longer than before now? How her eyes looked so beautiful now? Was she even using make-up? If she did, she knew what she was doing. "They told me. I come here a lot, I can't believe I had never seen you on the hallways."

She giggled and he felt like he was back on his way home in Daegu ten years ago. "I never come to this floor. Today I had a fight with the director so I ended up here."

"Is he making you upset?" He asked like he would go to his office and punch that man. The ring of the elevator before it opened the doors didn't surprised him. "Is he being bad to you?"

"No." She laughed. "Well. Yes, she is. She wanted to cut my budget. So I came to talk to the boss." She stepped in and waited for him to follow her. "I won."

"Oh! I'm glad!" He said a hand behind his neck. Jinyoung felt a little awkward.

"Where are you going?" She asked pressing the button marked with a 7th. She waited. "To the reception?"

He blinked. He nodded but she wasn't looking at him. He thought better. "To take you out for a cup of coffee?" She looked at him with big eyes. He smiled. They barely talked on Baro's bar that night and now he was... Just he was. "Oppa had missed you."

She lowered her gaze and he thought she was still super cute. "I can't go out right now."

"Then let's have lunch."

She shook her head. She laughed. "I'm seeing a friend today."

Oh. A friend. Was that friend more important than her Oppa? He felt some kind of rage boiling on his stomach. Surely it wasn't one of the girls. He would be invited if it was some of them.

The doors opened and she stepped outside but her delicate hand didn't let them close. "I had missed you too. I haven't seen you since your first summer after you went to college."

"I know." He looked for her eyes. "On my next holiday I went back home and your family had already moved out." He smiled. On that time he felt disappointed for some reason. "I lost your number. Did you moved to Seoul on that time?"

She smiled too. "No. We just moved in a new place near to that arboretum." Oh! They were on the other side of the town. "Chanshik-Oppa said you and Dongwoo-sunbaenim weren't coming back soon." She tilted her head. Did she feel the need to explain why they distanced? Were she thinking about that like he had been doing?

He couldn't help but stepped outside. The doors closed behind him. They both looked it.

"My office is here." She pointed the elegant hallway. "I need to talk to my assistant right now but if you wait for me..."

"I'll wait." He hurried to say.

"I can invite you to some horrible instantaneous coffee I have in the kitchen."

"I always liked that coffee!"

_From Shin Dongwoo:_

_\- Jinyoung!_

_\- Did you read the gc? Did you read what Sunwoo is writing?_

_\- Shit! Is he crazy?!_

_\- Traveling in the middle of spring?! Like I can left my job thrown!!!_

_\- I don't want to come back to Daegu!_

_\- I'm not coming back._

_\- Why the dinner can't be here!_

_\- Jinyoung?!_

_\- Jinyoung!!!!_

_\- I don't want to see her._


	4. Chapter 3 Full of blossoms.

**NOW: We're so different from our past selves.**

"Why are we buying the full stock of those chocolates?" Jinyoung asked a little worried looking the big hand of CNU and the basket his friend was carrying with lots of those little packages.

CNU looked at him for a moment before blinking. His gaze lowered to his hand and after a second he threw the candies on the basket.

'Because she likes them.' His brain answered.

"I'll pay." He shrugged. "I like to have something on my mouth while traveling on train."

"Mmmmm." He couldn't be sure if Jinyoung bought his reason but the black haired said nothing. CNU was thankful.

After paying, the two friends walked carrying the bags to the entrance of the store. They stood a moment looking the amount of people on the terminal. They found their group on one of the big benches.

CNU could see Gongchan shyly talking to HER sister and HER animated friend, and on a side there she was with her eyes locked on the screen of her phone, with her white shorts and her light green blouse. Taeni was distracted.

As they walked towards them CNU noticed the moment she received that phone call, the way her face brightened and the way she smiled talking to whoever she was talking with.

"Oh. You bought a lot!" Gongchan happily said taking a bag from his hands and starting to evaluating it. "I like this!" He smirked showing to Keri and the other girl (CNU really couldn't remember her name) a weird jelly he only took because the violet color.

Jinyoung said something else he didn't got because she was fixing those glasses on her face he didn't know she needed and tried to lift herself up on her tiptoes to look over the crowd. She was still on the phone.

Then Taeni's face had the biggest smile he had seen on her and one of her hands was in the air whilst she started to jump. "Binnie!!" She loudly called catching their friends' attention and the gaze of a man... A boy... A baby boy with broad shoulders and small eyes.

CNU looked the warm way she talked to him.

He frowned. For some reason he couldn't explain he didn't like the fact that man was walking in her direction with a big smile.

.

"What is he doing?" CNU asked looking at Sungyeol who five seconds ago was sitting next to him and now was walking towards a group of freshman girls that were on the grades of the same football field they were.

"He will ask her out." Jinyoung explained and looking the lost gaze of his friend he let out a frustrating growl. "He asked you if he can do it and you just said yes."

CNU frowned and fixed his big glasses. "What? Why was he...?"

"God!" Jinyoung made a dramatic act hitting his own face with his hand. "He will ask HER out... You know. My dongsaeng."

Oh. CNU knew. He lifted up his eyes and catched her staring at him. She blushed. And she looked away. She struggled a little and was probably about to look at him again when Sungyeol reached the girls and took her whole attention. "Oh." He said.

Jinyoung sighed. "You know?" He asked and paused bitting his big mandarin like it was a piece of bread. "You should talk to her sometime." CNU stopped to look the way the little girl with long dark brown hair was getting red for Sungyeol's talk and frowned at his friend. "I can introduce her to you." Jinyoung shrugged.

"I don't want that. Why should I talk to her?" He stupidly asked like he didn't know the girl had a crush on him. It's hard to ignore when she was looking at him like that every day.

"Then she will never talk to you." Jinyoung concluded.

The two boys looked back to the freshman group the moment the loud 'Aaaaah' of those girls reached their ears.

CNU frowned. Did Sungyeol asked for a date to a girl in front of everyone for real?

She was red. She was really red.

And God! She looked at him again.

And when their eyes met the poor girl flushed and looked back to Sungyeol.

She was pouting and frowning at the same time and she was kind of cute, CNU could tell.

She stood up and they saw how she asked Sungyeol to leave. Oh. No. She asked him to follow her.

They walked out the field.

"She will agree." CNU calmly said and those words tasted wrong in his mouth. He didn't care.

"You think?" Jinyoung asked looking away. There he was again. Smiling to a girl of middle school. His other dongsaeng.

"You doubt it." CNU said. His gaze on the spot he last saw her.

"You wanna know what I'm thinking?" His best friend looked at him. "Do you even care?"

"I do." His stupid mouth opened before he could think. "I don't." He frowned. "I don't know. I'm worrying?"

The expression of Jinyoung went soft. "Don't worry. She won't agree. She will be offended."

"Why?" He asked but Jinyoung didn't answered. "Why will she be offended?" Jinyoung didn't answer.

At that moment they looked at Sungyeol walking back.

A big smile on his face.

CNU also catched her walking back to her friends.

Her face was red and she was looking at the ground. She was smiling too.

.

And he hated that smile, but he couldn’t tell the reason.

When the black haired man reached to them Taeni sweetly asked him about the traffic, his way there and even if he had eaten.

The new boy said hi to Keri and the other girl with familiarity and a smile that seemed to never fade.

"This is Moonbin." Finally, Taeni introduced him to them. CNU made a little bow and the boy did the same with that hatred smile. "They are Chanshik-ssi." She said gesturing to Gongchan. "Our Jinyoung-oppa." For a moment his heart started to run. He waited for her to introduced him with the cute pet name she used to call him. "And Dongwoo-oppa." No more Pororo-oppa. Mo more Gom-oppa. Somehow that hurt.

"It’s a pleasure." The tall boy said and CNU thought even his voice was soft. What was wrong with this man?

"Where’s Dongmin-ah?" Keri asked him. Taeni smiled to her sister and then her gaze was on that Moonbin again. CNU’s stomach felt sick.

"My dear cousin had a call from his manager on the last minute." The three girls made a sad face none of the older men understood. Moonbin giggled. "He made me bring his stuff, he said he will travel tomorrow."

"Is he really coming?" Taeni talked with a tone that made CNU mad because it was not the same bright tone she used to describe her business associate. This tone was warm but not as warm as the way she uses when she talks about THAT Moonbin.

"He is, noona. You don’t need to worry." His little eyes got tinny while he was smiling. "He said Keri-noona promised him they would go shopping so he doesn’t want to miss this trip." Keri-noona? As he thought CNU realized Moonbin was really young. He surely left high school last year. He frowned.

"Shopping? Sure, that’s more important that being the bride's best friend. I will have to scold him when I see him." Keri laughed and that was all. CNU never could talk to the shy girl so naturally. Everyone changed so much!!!

"If Jieun-eonnie hears what our boy is saying he will be on big troubles." The unnamed tall girl said and threw her arm on the shoulders of the kid. He looked up to Gongchan but the younger didn’t react.

He lost what the kid was saying but the next thing he knew was that the guy was supposedly the funniest man on Earth and Taeni was laughing out loud and she was softly hitting that boy on his chest with her cute fists. She was not shy anymore, she was not nervous next to him anymore and she was in love with another man that wasn’t him. In love? He was probably his boyfriend or fiancee… He would be an idiot if not, CNU bitterly thought.

He saw her cute smile again and he understood.

Shit. He understood.

He hated that smile now because things were not the same anymore. Will never be the same.

In the past those smiles made of honey, those blushed cheeks and those cute giggles were just for him. Were for Pororo-oppa and he felt so special. He worked hard to see them and he admired them and adored every single one of them. But now…

He was not special anymore.

He will never be special again.

**...**

**The silent between us.**

Suji.

That was her name.

Suji was tall, had a beautiful face with long features and a long wavy dark hair. She was always happy. She was beautiful.

And after twelve years from the moment he saw her for the first time, after all that time trying to guess her name, Gongchan never thought she was a hundred times more beautiful than he could imagine back on his school days.

She was perfect.

"Chanie!" Jinyoung’s voice called him. He blinked before facing his friend.

They were on the train to Daegu. He was sitting facing CNU and Jinyoung and across the hallway between the rows of seats the girls and the friendly Moonbin were happily talking.

"Hyung?" He answered after an eternity. He looked curiously to CNU who was eating too much chocolates. He was in a bad mode but Gongchan didn’t want to talk about the reasons.

"I asked you if you’ll going to stay in your parents’ house?" The older said.

"Oh." He didn’t hear him. "I will. It had been too long since I saw my father, he'll get so mad at me if I don't stay with them." He was sad about it, he would prefer to stay with his friends. "Will Deullie-hyung go to yours?"

"No." Jinyoung said with a weird juice on his hand, his gaze on the table. "He’ll stay with our Dongwoo."

And that made CNU snap from his deep thoughts to say something that would probably turn out to be funny but the loud laugh from the girl’s table called the trio’s attention.

Gongchan couldn’t help but laugh along them.

Her laugh made him happy. She was like a vitamin for him. She was like the sun.

She looked at him and their gaze locked up for a second.

.

Gongchan looked away and he felt his cheeks warm. He was surely red.

It was stupid. He knew.

His hyungs didn’t make fun of him, but they should.

He was finally on his Junior year of high school and even if he should be worrying about his studies or should be spending time with a cute girlfriend, he was there with his eternal crush on a girl he was incapable of talk to and she was the only one to blame because nobody told him a uniform could look so well on a girl until she entered that afternoon on the illuminated hallway like a piece of art.

Thanks God he was tall, because the among of boys stopping by to look at her wouldn’t let him to properly admire that beauty.

She saw him, and for a precious moment he thought she was walking to him but…

"No way you came to visit your old sister to show off your new look!" Taeni passed by his side without even caring she bumped on him. "You look so mature and beautiful!" He agreed. The short girl looked too much happy. "Don’t you feel alone without my sister?"

"Of course no, eonnie!" She said and her cheeks got a little red. Maybe because she was ashamed to admit she did miss her friend. Even so Gongchan liked to think that maybe it was because she noticed his gaze on her. "Now I can see you every moment and you’ll take care of me, so I won’t feel alone." She had a playful smile on her face. "Plus…" That was almost as she singed. "I will walk you home today, my lady..." She made a formal bow like she was a Prince. Gongchan laughed a little but before the girls looked at him he acted like he was seeing the classroom. "Not because that way I’ll be with my best friend all the way down."

"I thought I was your best friend!" Taeni giggled. She let her hand to mess up the brown long hair of her. Gongchan was envying her.

"You are… Just… Your little sister is a little more my friend and less my mom compared with you." She defended herself and that was the moment Gongchan realized it was the first time he heard her talk to a friend.

Her voice was beautiful, of course. But the best thing was that for the first time he was capable to know how her personality was and he liked her. Gongchan really liked her so much.

The older girl asked her to wait there whilst she took her things.

He looked at her face. She was smiling and that made him smile.

Her dark eyes found him and her smiled got wide. She bowed to him.

He wanted to know if she knew he was from that class, if she would ask her eonnie for his name, if she even cared. He surely cared.

He stepped close and he was about to say something. He never knew what he wanted to say. Probably something stupid... But he hadn't have time.

Taeni came jumping, took the girl by the arm and said goodbye to him.

He sighed.

She was really beautiful. That would be a good thing to say.

She looked back to him. Her smile still wide.

.

And he smiled back.

"I'll be back in a minute." Jinyoung said leaving the table. He was accompanying Keri to the service wagon.

"Don't let the zombies get you!" CNU said. The others putting his eyes white. Gongchan was sick of Train to Busan jokes.

"Do you guys have some jellies left?" Suddenly Suji was sitting on Jinyoung's place. She was smiling like a sun and was looking at Gongchan making his heart go wild.

He didn't react for a moment lost in her beauty.

CNU kicked him under the table to make him blink and talk. "Mmmmm... Yes. Yes. We have plenty. Here!"

He handed her his own bag as he thought how silly and wonderful was life. He was talking to her.

"Thanks, ippa." She said. And he could feel the butterflies on his stomach. The word oppa never was so cool. "Tell me something..." She rest her cheek on her hand and looked at him. "Can we hang out once we reach Daegu?"

He left the air out of his lungs. "Yes. I would like to play with you all and..."

"No. No all of us." She said with a pout. CNU almost threw up his coffee. "The two of us. I think it's time for the two of us to get a date."

**...**

**The words we spoke were full of sincerity.**

"This is not a date." Eunjung repeated as she entered by the copilot door after securing the little Mino in the back seats.

They were in Sandeul’s black Nissan and the man was so flustered by admiring the beautiful woman in her mom role.

"I know." He finally said.

"We know." The kid with brown hair and thick eyebrows playfully said. That made his mom laugh.

"I just want to make it clear, baby. Mostly to our radio friend." She laughed and the boy followed her. Their laugh sounded similar. Sandeul felt so warm inside.

She was joking now. That was good.

Thirty minutes ago she was frowning at him. She got really mad because when she stepped outside her building with a pair of jeans and a plain shirt, with her long hair messed up and her baby boy on her arms, she was expecting to see Jieun and her green car ready to make a trip.

Not the man who had been deep in love with her for more than a decade.

When she saw him her stylized eyebrows were almost touching. "What on Earth are you doing here?" And she looked down to Mino fixing him on her arms in a protective gesture. "Where’s Jieun-ah?"

"Auntie?" The little boy asked with clear words that made Sandeul smile. He was so beautiful.

He looked up and found her angry gaze. She took her phone from her pocket and mumbled. "I’m going to kill her."

"You don’t need to." Sandeul stepped closer and that just caused her stepping back. That hurt. Was she thinking he would hurt her baby? Even so, he understood. "I can explain." He said with both hands high. "Sunwoo called me this morning. Jieun-ssi’s father came to Seoul as a surprise, he bought her a dress for the engagement dinner and she didn’t want to let him alone so the three will travel together and she said…"

"His father hates me." She completed and her expression was still angry but he couldn’t tell if it was still for him.

"The others’ train left early and Jieun-ssi said you shouldn’t travel alone because you need to take care of the handsome Mino." He said with his eyes fixed on the little boy who was also frowning at him and mother and son looked so similar by the moment. "I won’t lie to you. I was so glad when Sunwoo asked me to pick you up."

She was about to smile but God knows what thought crossed her mind and she frowned again. She was really angry.

.

And that was the first time Sandeul saw her so mad.

The short woman (who was taller than the short himself) was really mad looking how both of her friends were crying.

Taeni angrily walked in from of the stair case over and over. The red light of the evening was drowning the hallway. "So after insulting Suji that bitch slapped you?!"

Sandeul didn't know what to do. The moment was very private but when he saw Eunjung-noona in the school he couldn't help but followed her.

"No." Keri who was sitting between Suji and Jieun was patting the back of the first. "After calling... That... To Suji-eonnie in front of everyone Jieun-eonnie came and confront her."

"Then she slapped me and we were about taking her eyes off but our teacher stopped us." Jieun said looking at her reflection on a little mirror. Her face was turning dark red. "Well I was about to destroy her, Suji-yah started to cry before I stepped in." She said. Her words were rude but her voice was shaking. She was still crying.

"Who is she? Surim? I'll go to talk to her right now!!" Taeni said turning to face them.

"You won't." Eunjung calmly said. "You'll take Jieun-ah to the pharmacy and you'll take care of her face. And you girls are going with them."

"Eonnie!" Taeni complained. "That girl has been doing this to Suji for long time."

"I know. You told me." She did. Eunjung received a call from Taeni last week. That girl cried because Suji wasn't happy. "I'll make her to stop this. So by now you four go to the pharmacy and wait for me."

They discussed a little more but at the end the younger girls left.

"Deullie." The sweet voice of Eunjung called him.

"Are you ok, noona?" He asked. His eyes locked on the little fist of her that was trembling.

Her expression softened. "You know that girl? Surim?"

He nodded. "You're talking with her, aren't you?" He sighed.

"Yeah. I can't help." She looked down at her hands. "I don't get mad so easy. Not even with someone who bothers me... But God! I get so pissed off when anyone makes the girls sad. I hate it so much. That's not rational. You wouldn't understand... It's not rational."

But Sandeul understood. He did. Because she loved her friends and didn’t want them to get hurt.

He didn't want Eunjung-noona to get hurt either.

He sighed. She was beautiful even if she was mad.

.

"What?" She was frowning at him. "Why are you sighing?" She asked.

Sandeul looked away. To the highway in front of them. "For nothing." He answered after a moment.

She hummed. Then she turned to look at the back seat.

He couldn't turn like that whilst driving. But he heard the soft breath of the little boy. He was sleeping. Sandeul wanted to see him like that.

He looked up to the mirror but he could see nothing.

"Allergies?" Sandeul asked after some time.

"What?" Eunjung looked at him like he went crazy.

"Mino-yah. Does he have allergies?" He insisted. He was slowly driving. He wanted to prove he could safely drive. "I want to invite you two a good lunch but I don't know what does he likes and more important if there's something he cannot eat..." He let his eyes on her for a second. "Is he allergic to something?"

The car was silent.

"Peanuts and walnuts." Eunjung finally said. "I had a horrible memory for it." She bite her lip and Sandeul thought he should have been by her side on that moment. He would said it but she continued. "He loves Hawaiian pizza. He loves fruits."

Both were smiling.

"Hawaiian it is."

Sandeul never felt so completed before.


	5. Chapter 4 Me in the future.

**We remain the same no matter what.**

The sun was warm.

Jinyoung liked that.

His eyes were closed and the sun made him feel warm and good.

He was in the backyard of his house sitting on the door frame. His old note book on his knees and a smile on his lips.

His eyes opened when he felt it on his nose. A little pink petal that had fallen from his neighbors’ garden.

He smiled.

It was Sunday and he said he wanted to write a new song but at the end he did nothing but relax.

“Oh! No! Please!” Suddenly a voice was heard. He chuckled.

Jinyoung knew it. So he stood up and walked near to the wall that surrounded his yard.

He was eighteen years and tall enough to be capable to take a look of the house next to his, but he couldn’t find her.

Finally, he decided to speak. “Nice day, isn’t it?” For some reason he thought it didn’t sound cool enough.

He heard something hitting the ground. Of course he couldn’t see her, she was somewhere near to the wall.

“Oppa?”

He smiled. She sounded particularly cute today. “Yes, it’s oppa. Are you alone? Did you fight with your sister?” That was stupid, his brain suggested… But also his brain supplied he had been there during a fight between them before. “You know you two shouldn’t make your mother mad again.”

“What?!” She asked like he was crazy. It was a stupid thing to ask. “Where did that come from?”

He pouted, good thing she couldn’t see him. “I don’t know.” He tried to play it cool. “What are you doing alone then?”

“Stuff.” She simply said. But after a moment she added. “Homework. For my art class. I have to draw what I see and show some perspectives… Eonnie is having cake with Eunjung-eonnie.”

He was curious. He wanted to take a look.

“In other words, they left you behind.” He laughed.

“Yup.” She didn’t care.

“What are you drawing?” He asked letting his back rest on the wall.

“The tree.”

He was curious.

“Mmmm.” He looked up to the branches full of pink. “Is it good?”

“How will I know?!” She complained. “I hope so?”

He wanted to see.

“Let me see. I’ll tell you.”

“What?! No!”

“Why no?” He looked up to the wall, it wasn’t too tall.

“Because you’ll make fun of this!!” She was cutely worried. “My mom won’t let you in!!” She said laughing on the instant he was landing by her side. Her eyes opened wide.

“I found my door.” Jinyoung said cleaning his hands on his jeans.

She pouted.

Keri was using her comfiest pants and a cute hoodie and was sitting in a funny pose with her back on the tree. She looked as cute as she sounded minutes ago.

“Let me se.” He insisted with a smirk.

She put her eyes on white. “Oppa, you’re impossible!” She said but handed him her work.

It was beautiful!

“It’s not that bad.” He said sitting next to her.

“What are you doing?” She demanded.

“Making sure you won’t screw it.” He said and took a pink petal from her long hair.

He looked the petal on his hand.

.

It was cute.

But it was not as cute as it was back then.

He let the petal go.

He looked up to the tree on his neighbors’ garden. It wasn’t as beautiful as it was when she lived there.

His phone ringed.

He smiled seeing the name on the phone screen.

That’s how he ended there.

“Oppa? Can we really find the things Jieun-eonnie asked here?” Keri was looking at him with a pout.

They were on the traditional mark of Daegu. And he wasn’t sure.

That Jieun girl was pretty demanding and he didn’t think it that much earlier. Now that he was seeing the list he doubted it.

“I shouldn’t have heard you when you offered yourself to accompany me, you have no idea!” She complained. She was using a pair of high heels. She looked so mature.

“Hyung! There is that kimchi she asked for! Is this the brand she wanted?” The tall and handsome boy (even Jinyoung had to admit it) called him from the other side of the crowded hallway.

He didn't answer right away. He sent a dirty look to Keri first. "Told you!" He bragged before walking towards Cha Eunwoo, Keri's dongsaeng, friend of Jieun and (of course) THE model.

He found him annoying for some reason. But in fact, the kid was very kind even when you would expect him to be some high snob for the way he made people to turn and look at him. Now Jinyoung was his hyung. Great.

"Yes. It is." He confirmed. "Good job, kid." Jinyoung maybe wanted to bother him with that but the guy just smiled happily for the compliment.

"Noona said if we find all the things fast we can go to the center of the city." Eunwoo remembered looking at Keri.

She was by his side eyes fixed on the phone in her hand. "We will. But Jieun-eonnie just sent us a longer list. Should we separate?"

"No!" Both men answered at the same time and that made Jinyoung a little upset.

"I'll get lost." The younger explained and sweetly smiled to her.

"Scooby Doo showed the world is bad idea to go by your own." Jinyoung suggested. He made her laugh. "Let's go." He smiled and touched her back to make her walk in front of him as always.

But now, Cha Eunwoo was with her. 'He's her ex boyfriend.' His brain remembered him.

She told him so when he had asked with who was she having lunch that day. Now they're friends. Just friends.

But watching them together.

They looked good.

**...**

**The silent between us.**

Taeni was frowning at him.

He tried to smile, but Gongchan wasn't a good actor.

She stepped back so he could get in.

The house was beautiful. Bigger than he expected. The living room had a big window and a lot of people... A LOT.

"Hi." He was shy.

"Hello, Channie-hyung." Moonbin was in the couch and talked with a big smile. He held a boy in the air with his long hands.

"Be careful, Binnie." Eunjung sweetly asked. "Good afternoon, Chanshik-ssi."

He vowed even when he already did.

"Sit a moment." Taeni gestured to another sofa. She handed him a glass with ice and a colorful liquid on it. "She's upstairs."

He did as she told. For some reason he was very nervous. "I thought she was in her parents' house." He mumbled after some minutes.

"Her mother's apartment." Taeni corrected him. She smiled to Mino and Moonbin let her play with the kid putting him on his lap. "She's staying there. Just not today."

He gulped.

"She was very excited about this so she stayed with us." Eunjung clarified. "Chanshik-ssi, do you understand? Today's important."

"I... I know! I..."

"Just be careful." Taeni interrupted his stuttering with a serious look.

He wanted to say this was important for him too but...

"Are we going out now?" A giggled distracted him from the stairs. "Or are you too entertained with my eonnies?" Suji asked.

And God!

She was so beautiful.

She was using a cute pink sweater that was too big for her and a pair of white pants that contrasted with those militar boots. Her hair was a different color.

"Hi." He dreamy said.

.

"Hi." His math teacher answered with everything but a smile on her face. She was not happy. He gulped. "Gong Chanshik, isn't it?"

He nodded. She sighed.

He was in the Teachers' Room. There were just a few people in there but still he felt like missing the air. The man who give them chemical was looking at him like he was a criminal.

"I'm sorry." He decided to say.

"You should be." The woman with black long hair said whilst frowning. "You're not usually like this." How did she know? She just asked for his name. He pouted. If Jinyoung-hyung knew he was there because he fell asleep as consequence they playing all night, he would feel like he's the one to blame.

"... And the worst it's you had to be loud! At least be smart and leave your head on the desk!" Oh! The woman kept talking.

"I'm sorry." He repeated.

"You're not a kid anymore. You're a senior, we need you to be a good example." And the woman kept on it.

Gongchan was getting tired so he let his eyes traveled around the room.

There was nothing better. Just the black hair of that creepy man everyone called Dumbledore's mustache. He believed he taught maths in freshman year.

"You can leave them there." Another boring teacher was entering in the place. The tall man opened the doors and...

The moon tried to reach the sun.

There she was. The girl. His girl.

Beautiful as always. His heart stopped.

With a big smile carrying all the notebooks of what?... Three? Four classes?

How that trash of a man let her carry all of them?

His hands curled into fists.

"Gong! Are you even paying attention?" His teacher asked near to his ear. She had stood up and was facing him with a furious look.

"Yes. I am." He said but his gaze never leave the beautiful girl. She let the books on one of the tables.

"I told you to put them here." The man said pointing a table across the room.

"Student Gong!" His teacher again.

"I said I'm sorry." He repeated very calm even if he didn't feel like that. He was taller than the woman so he could look the scene on the entrance without problems.

The girl let out a high laugh. "You should be thankful I brought them here, man."

Gongchan was impressed. Even his teacher looked at her.

"What are you saying, student?" The tall man asked.

"What you heard." She gestured to her ears. "I helped you because you wanted that little girl to carry all this alone. Next time ask more people or do it by yourself." She sounded very firm.

"You're earning a detention for this."

"Write it down, old man." He wasn't old. That made Gongchan giggled. "I have a lot of friends there." She shrugged.

And with that she left...

"Student! Come back here!" The man called her walking out.

His math teacher sighed again. "At least you're respectful." He smiled. He just had thought about punching that man. He wasn't respectful. "I'll let you go this time."

"Thank you." He said wanting to run out and see what happened to the girl that made his heart run fast.

When he closed the door behind him he let out a low laugh. She was cooler than he thought. She just saved him.

.

"What's so funny?" Suji asked with a smile on her beautiful face whilst she took a sit.

"I didn't thought we were coming to a place like this." He confessed closing the slide door. They were on a traditional restaurant and they just choosed a private room with a big table with a stove on the center so they could grill the meat and a lot of couches on the floor. "I was thinking on something... Cooler."

She giggled and he knew what he said was fine.

"Right." She said still smiling. She tied up her long wavy hair with a headband. "On our second date, when we get back to Seoul I'll take you to my favorite urban restaurant. We can do climbing and then have dinner... Or maybe we'll go to do archery in that coffee I went with..."

"Are we having a second date?" Gongchan felt his heart was about to explode. "Our first is that good already?" He felt playful. A bubbly sensation on his skin.

She laughed at loud. "Well..." She shrugged. "We need to get to know each other, oppa. We deserve it after such a long time, don't you think?"

He giggled. He was a growth man. He was twenty seven and even so the woman in front of him made him feel like a teenager. He could swear his cheeks were red.

"Yeah. We need that." He said reading the menu. "Oppa is paying so let's ask for only the best!"

"Ooooooh!" Suji clapped. "This could be the best date of the century!"

**...**

**NOW: We're so different from our past selves.**

It was sour.

So sour.

That coffee was the sourest drink he had ever had.

And that was weird because he always loved coffee and he always loved that coffee shop.

CNU looked up to the empty chair across the table. He was looking for her.

He sighed.

He was such a looser.

“Oppa!” Someone called him and yes, it was Taeni with the biggest smile on her cute face. She was using a long sweater that made her look smaller. “What a surprise!” She was standing so close she had to look down at him.

He didn’t want to but yeah… He smiled back.

“It’s weird to see you here.” He said. And for a moment he got afraid she would have misunderstood him. A uncomfortable feeling started deep in his chest.

Her smile didn’t fade. “Is it?” She let her gaze to travel for all the place until she stopped on the big glass wall that faced the garden and the little lake. “This may be the only place I miss from Daegu. They make my favorite coffee here so I always come when I visit my parents.” She explained like they were there together for the first time.

He hummed. “Will you sit with me or are you waiting for someone?”

She chuckled. “I’m not?” Taeni showed him a long facture. “I’m waiting for my order to be ready. I’m bringing coffee to everyone at your house, do you know we’re decorating your place for the engagement dinner?”

He made a face. “I know. But I’m not good in those things, you won’t miss me.” Then he made a gesture to call one of the waitress. “Sit down, for all I can see they will have to bake half of the things you want so let me invite you a cup.”

She looked up to the counter and then back to the table. It was one of THEIR tables, close to the corner and with a good sight of the place, so no one would bother them.

He perfectly noticed the moment she made up her mind.

“Right. But if my things are ready before I drink it you’ll have all that caffeine.”

She was so endearing. He nodded content. He decided to ask the waitress to delay her order.

Taeni looked at him smiling, then let her elbow to rest on the table and her face on her hand. She was looking at the big window, at the lake outside.

.

“What it is?” CNU asked following her gaze to the lake. It was raining. It was cold. November was ending. It was supposed to be cold. She was upset.

Taeni looked back at him. Cheeks red and pout on her lips. “Oppa, what will happen…?” She stopped there. Her eyes fixed on her hands.

He blinked. CNU studied her face trying to guess what was wrong. But could see nothing but her being pretty. He decided to ask. “What’s wrong, honey?”

She slightly smiled at the pet name but didn’t lift her eyes. “It’s just… Did you notice?” She was not upset. She was sad. He would fight whoever made her sad. “Next year you’ll have your tests and then…” She gulped and he knew. He was the one making her sad. “You’ll get into a great important University far away from the city and we…” He closed his eyes for a moment when he thought her lip was trembling. But he immediately looked at her again. She was smiling. A sad smile. “I was thinking… How much I would liked if we knew each other a little earlier.”

God. He knew. He would liked it too.

Both focused on the lake again. Drops made beautiful designs on the water.

CNU would like to say it. That wouldn’t fix it, but he wanted to say it.

“Do you want to go out?” Shit. That wasn’t what he had to say. “This weekend?” Her pretty eyes were looking at him with curiosity. He softly smiled. “Let’s do something fun! Let’s go to the aquarium and then let’s eat in a good place, do you want it?”

She blushed. And nodded. Her eyes won’t be on him for a while.

He smiled. Yes. He wanted to see her without the school uniform as much as he could.

“Excuse me.” The waitress had come with two slice of cake and two cups of coffee.

He thanked her and them, took the sugar and offered it to Taeni. She giggled.

.

“Thanks.” She said looking at him. “But I don’t need it.” Taeni lifted a hand. And…

What on Earth? CNU couldn’t believe it. “You like it with lots of sugar!” He demanded.

She just chuckled. “I did.” Her cup on her lips WITHOUT A SINGLE SPOON OF SUGAR. “But I think my long sleepless nights of college ruined my life style.”

That should be funny. But it isn’t.

Surely that Moonbin guy knew how she liked her coffee.

“So… Who were you screaming at?” She asked pointing at his phone.

“No one.” He said crossing his arms on his chest. But after seeing her starting to frown he added. “It was from work. A stupid author who is asking me to extend his deadline.”

“Mmmm…” She hummed. “You said you’re an editor, right?”

“More like a baby-sitter of old men who write.” She laughed at that and that made him warm.

“Well, you liked books back then so it shouldn’t be that bad. Or it is?” She tilted her head and looked so cute…

“I like poetry…” He started. “I edit bad romance stories with vampires and zombies. Not so good.”

“Ah!” She enthusiastically said. “I think I love that kind of stories better than anything else, so your work is very important, oppa.”

CNU half smiled. “I thought you liked poetry too.” He mumbled looking away. He didn’t know if he was mad or not.

“I did… Kind of. On High School…” She took another sip of her dark drink. “I don’t read poetry now. I don’t understand it.”

Was that a lie?

Their eyes met for a moment. They were silent.

“Things change.” He said.

“A lot.” She was not smiling.

Suddenly she stood up. “Guess I have to talk to someone. I need our coffees, they have been waiting.” She started to check her phone. “They’re waiting.”

“Want me to drive you there?” CNU offered.

She stopped a moment and pressed her lips in a thick line.

“Yes. It’s your home so you won’t lose time.” She said before walking away.

He sighed.

CNU lifted the cup to his lips.

He made a face.

It was sour.

It was so sour.


End file.
